july-august 2009 brown pelican newsletter coastal bend audubon society

8/9/2019 July-August 2009 Brown Pelican Newsletter Coastal Bend Audubon Society

1/8

On the Web at http://www.coastalbendaudubon.org

Brown PelicanJuly/ August 2009

The Newsletter of the Coastal Bend Audubon Society

The

CBAS Monthly MeetingsTuesday, September 1at 7 pmSpeaker: Michele Horine,Vice President of Nature

Tourism & Communications

for the Corpus Christi Con-vention & Visitors Bureau

Topic: The Natural Side ofCorpus Christi

Location:Corpus Christi Museum of

Science and History

1900 N. ChaparralCorpus Christi, Texas

Time: 7:00 p.m.All members and the public

are invited!

___________________________

Notable birds in the area

An adult male White-winged Scoter was seen in AyresBay (Aransas County) relaxing on a geotextile tube on

May 10.The white form of the Great Blue Heron (aka

Great White Heron) is the predominant form aroundthe reefs of Florida, and throughout the Caribbean. It isdistinguished from the Great Egret by substantially heav-

ier and bi-coloredbill, yellowish tograyish (not black)legs. This is the thirdyear that a youngGreat White Heronhas fledged from anest on Second Chain of Islands in Ayres Bay, though no

adult white bird has been reported in the area. The islands,which separate San Antonio Bay from Ayres Bay, havebeen an Audubon managed rookery for over 50 years.Though they have experienced some erosion, they remaina critical waterbird rookery in the central coast.

Another wanderer, a Jabiru, found its way to theNueces Delta Preserve in San Patricio County. It was seenon June 10 by Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Programstaff Gene W. Blacklock and Jake Herring, accompaniedby volunteer June Leib-farth, while conductingan annual TerritorialMale Count in thearea. The bird was ac-

companied by WoodStorks which looked

puny by comparison. The Jabiru ranges from southern Mex-ico to northern Argentina. It has not been seen at the sitesince that date. This is the first record for the species in SanPatricio County, and probably the northernmost for the state.The last time a Jabiru was seen in this area was in Oso Bayin 1982. Another bird was present in flooded pastures in theRaymondville area of Willacy County last year.

Great White Heron, photo by

Patty Nelson

White Winged Scoter, photo by

Patty Nelson

Jabiru, photo by Charlie Spiekerman


2/8

Page 2Page 2

XTREME HUMMINGBIRD XTRAVAGANZASaturdays in September, 9 a.m.12:00 p.m. Lake JacksonHundreds of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds make the migratoryjourney along the Texas coast and across the Gulf. Witness thiswith other hummingbird enthusiasts while enjoying related

activities. Contact the observatory for more information.Contact: Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Lake Jackson, TXPhone: (979) 480-0999Web site: www.gcbo.org

HUMMER/BIRD CELEBRATIONSeptember 17-20, 2009 RockportOver 14 speakers and programs, outdoor exhibits, a bandingsite, nature related vendor booths, Hummer Home visits, bird-ing boat excursions, guided field trips and so much more high-light this annual festival along the Central Texas coast.Contact: Rockport/Fulton Chamber of Commerce 404 Broad-way, Rockport, TX 78382

Phone: (800) 242-0071Web site: www.rockporthummingbird.comE-mail: [email protected]

TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE EXPOOctober 3-4, 2009 AustinPresented by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Expo givesvisitors an opportunity to try and learn about a wide range ofoutdoor sports and pastimes including angling, rock climbing,mountain biking, camping, shooting and much more. The bird-ing area offers information about birding in Texas. Whetheryoure an old hand or a new backyard birder, youll loveExpos birding area.Contact: Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo 4200 Smith SchoolRoad, Austin, TX 78744Phone: (800) 792-1112Web site: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/expo/

WILDLIFE REFUGE WEEK

October 5-11, 2009 Your favorite national wildlife refugeVisit your favorite national wildlife refuge this week to learnmore about your local natural heritage and what is being doneto protect the wildlife around us.

14th ANNUAL TEXAS BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL

October 22-24, 2009 MissionJoin us in Mission, Texas as we celebrate the Valleys 280+

species of butterflies. Learn from internationally renownedspeakers, explore the areas natural habitats on expert guidedfield trips. Other activities include the Butterfly Bonanza SouthTexas BBQ Dinner and the Nature and Butterfly Expo.Contact: Greater Mission Chamber of CommercePhone: (800) 580-2700Web site: www.texasbutterfly.com

WILD IN WILLACYOctober 22-24, 2009 Raymondville & Port MansfieldA four-day festival celebrating the natural bio-diversity of Wil-lacy County, Texas, one of the four counties which make upthe Rio Grande Valley. Birding field trips include airboat rides

into the otherwise inaccessibly sloughs of the Laguna MadreBay, boating safari across the Laguna Madre to the northern tipof South Padre Island and access to private ranches. Specialtwo-day free childrens program featuring participation byUSFWS, Gladys Porter Zoo and others. Other events featurebutterflies, native Texas plants and history of the area.Contact: Raymondville Chamber of CommercePhone: (888) 603-6994Web site: www.wildinwillacy.comE-mail: [email protected]

16th ANNUAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY BIRDING FESTIVALNovember 9-15, 2009 Harlingen

Celebrate the wonder that is South Texas. This festival willfocus on field trips, a trade show and special presentations byinternationally renowned birders and authors of wildlife biol-ogy. Field trips offer glimpses of parrots, Chachalaca, GreatKiskadee, Altamira Oriole and Green Jay among many otherbirds found in this region.Contact: Harlingen Chamber of Commerce 311 East Tyler,Harlingen, TX 78550Phone: (800) 531-7346, (956) 423-5440Web site: www.rgvbirdfest.com

WHATS UP AROUND TEXAS

Now you can easily keep up as to when your membershipis due. Check the label on your newsletter and you will see theexpiration date on the first line of your mailing label as shownbelow.

Any questions about your membership should be directedto the Membership Director, Laura Cooper, [email protected]

When does mymembership expire?

Look for color version of newslet-ter on the web atwww.Coastalbendaudubon.org


3/8

Page 3

seasons of data will be required before a quantitative assess-ment of migratory waterfowl usage of Little Bay can be drawn.A significant factor that will have to be understood in somedetail before conclusions about waterfowl usage can be made isthe status of sea grass in Little Bay. In addition, perhaps pri-marily, an assessment of waterbird problems in Little Bay mustinclude measuring the direct disturbance of the birds by parkvisitors and by construction and development along the shoreand in the watershed.

Historically, Little Bay in Rockport has always been a hot spotfor wintering waterfowl. That is, until recently. A few yearsago local residents began noticing considerably fewer ducksusing Little Bay in the winter. This precipitated John Huckabee

to initiate a survey of waterfowl in Little Bay in addition to tworeference sites. For the 2008-9 winter, John conducted the thirdyear of this survey in hopes that these data, in conjunction withother studies on seagrass and water quality, can be helpful inimproving ecological function in this small bay.

Little Bay Migratory Waterfowl Survey,

December 13, 2008 March 10, 2009By John Huckabee

The unusual near-absence of over-wintering migratory water-fowl from Little Bay in Rockport, Texas in the winter of 2006-

2007 precipitated a survey in the winter of 2007 -2008 with theobjectives of documenting migratory waterfowl occurrence andidentifying factors limiting and controlling migratory waterfowlusage of Little Bay. That work was extended with a compara-ble survey in the winter of 2008 2009, the results of which arereported here.

Counts of all ducks present by species were taken at leastonce a week (weather dependent) December 13, 2008 throughMarch 10, 2009 starting about 10:00 AM at Little Bay and twocontrol sites, including the Aransas Bay waterfront along ShellRidge Road in Rockport and Port Bay at Cape Velero in thevicinity of The Villas.

There are apparently no previous data on numbers of wa-terfowl using Little Bay. Ducks returned to Little Bay in 2007-

2008, with flocks (rafts) of Redheads or Lesser Scaup num-bering up to 680 birds usually present. Northern Pintails wereusually present numbering up to 50 or so birds. Small numbers(four to ten) of Bufflehead were nearly always present. Can-vasback, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers and Gadwallswere often present numbering one or two to 15 to 18 birds.

Total waterfowl numbers were lower during the survey in08 09 than in 07 08 by approximately 56% in Little Bayand along Shell Ridge Road, and 76% at Cape Velero. In 2008 2009, Redheads were consistently present on Little Bay withnumbers around 30 or 40 in December 2008 linearly increasingto around 200 by late February 2009. Four to six Canvasbackswere present almost every count. No more than 16 of any other

species were ever present during the survey until March, when30 40 Lesser Scaup appeared.

In contrast to Little Bay the two control sites showed largepercentage variation in number of waterfowl present at differentcounts during 08 09, for example ranging from zero to 830Redheads along Shell Ridge Road and from 0 to 850 (all spe-cies) at Cape Velero.

It is clear that the Little Bay ecosystem can support over-wintering populations of migratory waterfowl, but several more

Waterfowl use onLittle Bay

Little Bay (cont)

Blucher Park

Progress continues on the Byrd and Beatrice Harris Me-

morial Garden behind the Blucher House. The paths have beenlaid out, the planting beds mulched, and recently a comfortablebench was purchased and placed in a location with a good viewof the water feature and the future bird and butterfly garden.We will be planning the layout of the plants, and in the futurewe will be looking for green thumbs to help with putting theplants in the ground.

Byrd and Bea HarrisMemorial Garden

The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) hasbeen working on improvements to Blucher Park that will en-hance its safety, access to birders, as well as habitat value. Oneof the proposed projects is a Chimney Swift kiosk, featuringtwo swift towers that have been designed by local architectDoug Wade with input from Audubon Outdoor Club, CoastalBend Audubon Society, and Coastal Bend Bays & EstuariesProgram. Thanks to Paul and Georgean Kyle of DriftwoodWildlife Association, the final design integrates practical con-siderations that will make them usable by nesting and roostingchimney swifts with aesthetic considerations that will make itan attractive and educational addition to the park. CBAS looksforward to continuing to work with the CVB to improve habitatand promote education on conservation in the area.

This photo was incorrectly labeled bythe editor as an Indigo Bunting in the

last newsletter (May 2009). It is aLazuli Bunting and the photographwas taken and submitted by Sandyand Blair Sterba-Boatwright. The webversion of the newsletter was cor-rected soon after the error was no-ticed.

Correction


4/8

Page 4

Leatrice Koch, CBAS Treasurer

in front of new next boxes for

Black Bellied Whistling Ducksto be installed at the North Bay

Sanctuary. Photo by George

Gongora.

The Coastal Bend Audubon Society recently acquired threenesting boxes to be installed at North Bay Sanctuary for Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Wes Higgins donated his timeand expertise in building the boxes. Mr. Higgins is self-employed in general carpentry work and painting. He can be

contacted at 361-939-8749 if you need any work done at yourhome or business. The society would also like to recognizeTravis Taylor, manager ofMcCoy's Building Supply, 5909Holly Road, for donating the lumber used in building the nest-ing boxes. CBAS appreciates their contributions.

Nest Boxes for SanctuaryMay SpeakerThe May meeting fea-tured Dr. Bart Ballard ofCaesar Kleberg WildlifeResearch Institute,TAMU-Kingsville. Dr.Ballards topic, Conser-vation Strategies forWintering Redheads inthe Laguna Madre ofTexas demonstrated thedepth and breadth of cur-rent wildlife researchmethods. Compiling sat-ellite images and ground-based data to provide an estimate ofthe numbers and locations of Redhead Ducks in the LagunaMadre, Dr. Ballards team also researched fresh water pondsadjacent to the wintering sites.

past and future Speakers

September SpeakerMichele Horine, Vice President ofNature Tourism & Communica-tions for the Corpus Christi Con-vention & Visitors Bureau willspeak on The Natural Side of Cor-pus Christi, and PromotingAmericas Birdiest City throughConservation. Michele will pre-sent an update on the Blucher ParkEnhancement Project: ChimneySwift Tower Kiosk, identify future

conservation park enhancement projects, and provide an up-date on the growing trend using technology to enhance andpromote outdoor recreation.

Sanctuary water feature

food for birds and butterflies. In the future we hope to add asmall viewing blind so that visitors can watch as the vital watersource draws in wildlife from all around.

The feature was designed and built by Aquaria Services,

who graciously donated their labor at no cost. David Price tookthe lead on design and installation of the project, and createdthe concrete "leaves" in the feature. Aquaria Services designs,

constructs, services and repairs aquariums, ponds, water fea-tures and fountains. If you are in need of such services, pleasecontact: Denise Housler, Aquaria Services, Inc., 361-854-3961,or email them at [email protected], or visit theirweb site at www.aquariaservicesinc.com.

If you'd like to volunteer to be on the Sanctuary Commit-

tee, or help with a donation of labor or cash for the next phaseof sanctuary enhancements such as feeders and a viewing blind,please contact Dick Dubois at [email protected].

The Sanctuary Committeerecently added a shallow waterfeature for resident and migra-tory songbirds in need of a bathor a drink at the North Bay Sanc-tuary, with Supplemental Envi-ronmental Project funds pro-vided through the Texas Com-mission on Environmental Qual-ity.

The new water feature ispowered by a solar unit which

runs a pump and four integratedbaths. The water flows acrossand over three artfully sculptedleaves before "disappearing" intoa rock bed and re-circulated.

The feature is surrounded by a fence consisting of rough-hewncedar (juniper) posts and hog panels. The posts will allow feed-ers to be mounted in various locations. The overall fenced area,approximately 20' x 30', will be planted with wildflowers andsmall shrubs which will provide some cover for small birds and

water feature (cont.)


5/8

Page 5

Above: Purple Martin with geo-locator attached. Photo

by Juan Bahamon.

Over Memorial Day weekend, CBAS partnered with Pur-ple Martin Conservation Association and renowned birdresearchers to initiate a project to track Purple Martins

from south Texas on their migratory routes to their win-tering grounds and back. Dr Bridget Stutchbury (of YorkUniversity in Toronto, Ontario) has been pioneering theuse of small geo-locator devices on songbirds over the

last three years. The geo-locators were designed by British Antarctic Survey and track latitude andlongitude by recording available daylight, once per hour. The units are carried on the back of thesongbird throughout its migration, and the bird has to be recaptured the following year to downloadthe units data. Advanced technology has enabled the construction of a geo-locator that weighsabout 1.6 grams. The units are harnessed to the martins, which weigh about 55 grams, by thin polyester string.

Twenty geo-locators were attached to Purple Martins from two well-managed colonies in the Corpus Christi area, one atPMCA's 2008 Landlord of the Year, John Barrows home, and one located at the home of Jeff Webster. David Newstead andLinda Fuiman of CBAS assisted the team with the capture, banding, and placement of geo-locators. All birds have since beenseen actively tending nests and young without problems. Hopefully most of these birds will return to the same colonies and

be re-sighted next year so they can be captured and the data downloaded. The data will be used to calculate migration speeds,and approximate migratory and wintering locations. This information could highlight the need for more focused conservationstrategies in particular areas for the species. Additionally, the model can be applied to other songbirds and shorebirds in thefuture to help shed light on poorly understood aspects of the life histories of neo-tropical migrant birds.

The project was funded by National Audubon Society through an Important Bird Area grant. Remaining funds not usedthis season will be used to purchase geo-locators for use next year. Stay tuned as next year rolls around and some of thesebirds return. Hopefully they'll tell us where they've been.

Many thanks to Louise Chambers and Dr. Gene Mortonfor their work with the project, and Dr. Juan Bahamon and PeteHolzer who participated and photo-documented the project. Aspecial thanks to John Barrow and Louise Chambers for devel-oping the project and orchestrating the whole kaboodle. I haverarely if ever seen field work go that smoothly, so John's atten-

tion to detail is credited for a successful project.

By David Newstead

Purple MartinGeo-Locator project

Linda Fuiman holding purple martin.

Photo by: David Newstead

Purple Martin at John Bar-rows condo. Photo byPete Holzer.

Left: Geo-locator device size

comparison with a penny.

Right: Group of scientists and

volunteers on the Purple Mar-

tin Geo-locator Project. Both

photos by Juan Bahamon.

Below: Dr. Stutchbury and David Newstead fit Purple Martin

with geo-locator. Photo by Linda Fuiman.


6/8

Page 6

Kids birding 101Summer 2009Summer is here, and so is ourBirding101 for Kids. Four

classes were scheduled for June. The first class was held at HansSuter Park on June 4th and 14 students aged 7-12 yrs participated.The second class at Indian Point, Portland had 9 students aged 7-12yrs.

The class included how to use binoculars, and bird identifica-tion instruction using field marks. Some of the birds sighted includeMallards, Black-necked Stilts, Roseate Spoonbills, Gt. Blue Her-ons, Brown and White Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, Rudy Turnstones,Least Tern, Black Skimmer and lots more.

Marshes and mudflats support countless numbers of shore-birds feeding in the same area yet rarely compete for the same food.Students participated in an activity where they pretended to be abird, calledBird Beak Buffet. Students were given a paper cupwhich acted as their stomach, and they selected different types ofimplements to act like the birds beak including chopsticks, tonguedepressors and clothespins. Make-believe food items such as rubberbands, marbles, pennies and toothpicks were distributed on the

ground. The birds (students) then had to pick-up the food usingtheir beak and put the food in their stomach (paper cup). At the endof the activity the students counted the food items in their stomachand told the story and compared how a specific bill shape, or size, issuited to eating a particular food allowing many birds of differentspecies to utilize the same feeding area.

The classes ended with all the students making a bagel birdfeeder which they took home to hang in their yard and watch thebirds come in to feed. I asked 11-year-old Hannah B. if she had aspecial place in mind for her feeder, and she told me that she wasgoing to take it to her Grandma who was in a nursing home. Shesaid that her Grandma would enjoy that as she likes to look at birds.Hannah also told me that she would make more feeders and takethem to the nursing home for other people to enjoy watching thebirds at the feeder. What a special little girl with a big heart.

Its been a great start to the summer classes and I could not doit without the help of my right-hand woman, Leatrice Koch. Thekids have been great, they are excited and willing to learn and havesigned up for morewhich means we must be doing somethingright!! But most of allits fun!

Story and photos by Linda Fuiman

Kids play the Bird Beak Buffet at Hans Suter Park, learning

about ecological niches and adaptations.

Hans Suter Birding 101 for Kids participants.

Indian Point participants with their Bagel Bird Feeders.

Indian Point birders zero in on some target birds.


7/8

Page 7Page 7

New Member Renewal Chapter:C9ZW130ZName: __________________________________ Address: ________________________________________

City _____________________________________ State _______________ ZIP ______________

Phone (optional) ___________________________ Email (optional) ____________________________________

Indicate Membership Preference: I would like to become amember ofNational Audubon Society and Coastal Bend Audubon Society (local W-13). Your membership includes the NationalAudubon Magazine, chapter membership and other benefits. Your chapter receives part of your dues. Dues: One year $20 Makechecks payable to National Audubon Society

member ofCoastal Bend Audubon Society (local W-13) ONLY.No NAS membership and no National Audubon magazine. Your chapter only membership includes all other Audubon membership bene-fits. Your chapter receives all of your dues. Dues: One year $15Make checks payable to Coastal Bend Audubon Society

Additional Tax Deductible ContributionPlease consider making a tax deductible contribution to the local chapter, Coastal Bend Audubon Society. You may designate the cate-gory you would like your contribution applied to. Designate category of support.

Tern One year $50

Osprey One year $100

Pelican One year $500

Designate specific area of support (Optional).

General Fund Education Program Sanctuary Maintenance Newsletter Fund

AMOUNT Enclosed: ___________________ Date: ________________

MAIL TO: COASTAL BEND AUDUBON SOCIETY, P.O. BOX 3604, Corpus Christi, TX 7846302/09

New or Renewing Membership

By Leatrice KochApril 1 - May 31, 2009

Beginning balance. .................................... $17,091.93

Income. ............................... $ 1,300.88Expenses .............................. 4,652.93

.............................................................. ( 3,352.05 )

Ending balance .......................................... $13,739.88Less reserved fund. ...................................... 691.64Less sanctuary improvement donation. ... 2,000.00

Operating fund .......................................... $11,048.24

Treasurers report


8/8

DIRECTORS

Education Linda Fuiman, [email protected]

Sanctuary Dick DuBois, [email protected]

Conservation Scott Large, [email protected]

Membership Laura Cooper, [email protected] Sally Bickley, [email protected] Gene Blacklock, [email protected]

At-Large Ray Sutton, [email protected]

The Brown Pelican

P.O. Box 3604Corpus Christi, Texas 78463

The Newsletter of the CoastalBend Audubon Society

This newsletter is compiled/written and publishedevery other month. Articles of interest are gathered from

various sources and compiled by the editor,volunteers, and/or contributing authors.

All contributions and comments are welcomed.

Regular CBAS meetings:First Tuesday of the month, Septemberthrough May, 7 p.m. at the CCMuseum of Science and History

Non-Profit Org.

U. S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 1080

Corpus Christi, TX

The Coastal Bend Audubon Society is a non-profit 501c(3) organization dedicated to the con-

servation of birds, and bird habitat, and to conser-vation education in the Coastal Bend.

The organization is supported by contributionsfrom local memberships and from the National

Audubon Society.

Your CHAPTER needs you! You can help steerthe course of growth and change in our commu-

nity by working together Please contact us at 361-885-6203 about getting involved!

PRESIDENTDavid [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENTMary Ellen [email protected]

SECRETARYCherie [email protected]

TREASURERLeatrice [email protected]

Coastal Bend Audubon Society Board of Directors

Phone: 361-885-6203

Email: [email protected]

http://www.coastalbendaudubon.org

july-august 2009 brown pelican newsletter coastal bend audubon society

Documents